Most visitors to the Capitol in Austin have to submit bags and briefcases for inspection, but those with a concealed handgun license, even if they are not packing, are exempted and can use an express lane.

The reasons? Permit holders have been "trained, vetted and passed a criminal background check and are legally authorized by state law to carry a concealed weapon," says Tele Mange, a DPS spokeswoman quoted by reporter Gary Scharrer of the Chronicle's Austin bureau.

The newspaper quotes one lobbyist and former state lawmaker as saying he thinks all of the state's 1,400 lobbyists, who often must visit the Capitol several times a day, will become card-carrying, if not gun-carrying, members.

A permit costs $140 plus a $2 handling fee in addition to about $100 for a required training class, the Chronicle says.

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About Doug Stanglin

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About Michael Winter

Michael Winter has been a daily contributor to On Deadline since its debut in January 2006. His journalism career began in the prehistoric Ink Era, and he was an early adapter at the dawn of the Digital Age. His varied experience includes editing at the San Jose Mercury News and The Philadelphia Inquirer.